


Stargate at the DOM

by potionspartner



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24041326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potionspartner/pseuds/potionspartner
Summary: Everyone knows that the Department of Mysteries has a secret collection of magical artifacts of varying degrees of danger and power. When Voldemort has taken over the Ministry of Magic, he discovers one of those secrets is a Stargate. Now he has plans not to just take over Earth but the entire Galaxy.
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

Lord Voldemort surveyed the atrium, with its curved walls and golden fireplaces, a hint of satisfaction gleamed in his eye. He had heard murmurs, calling it a coup, but really it was a revolution, his revolution and it had been announced not with the bang of wands and spells but with the muted sounds of imperius curses and fear. 

He swept down the row of golden grates to the fountain. Ah yes, he remembered, the old fountain, the Fountain of Magical Brethren. Dumbledore had used the wizard statue to protect Harry Potter when they last met. He scowled at the memory. The man had been dead for two months, two months by his order yet still here in a moment of glory as he swept down the foyer all of the Ministry of Magic, the old cougar still managed to irk him. 

At least that fountain, like Dumbledore, was gone. Pius had tried to show him the plans but quickly learned how little he cared. Still, he had to admit that he liked the title: Magic is Might that was etched into the black stone at the bottom. The statue was in mid-creation as if the artist had been hurried out of the atrium early. Actually, he mused, maybe he or she had been. Whatever the statue was going to become, it would also be replaced with a monument to him, as soon as he could reveal himself in all his story with Harry Potter’s corpse at his feet.

“Milord,” Pius Thicknesse approached, clad in a dapper robe and pointed beard, and bowed low. “As you requested the Ministry has been cleared. For some reason, few complained about leaving early on a Friday.” He snorted at his own joke, but muffled it quickly when seeing Voldemort’s blank expression. “The only exception was Dorlores Umbridge. She refused to leave citing that she was very busy getting the muggle registration to begin on Monday morning. She’s stowed away in her office with mountains of paperwork. I don’t think she’ll be a bother.”

Voldemort nodded, “Ah, yes, Snape told me about her, ‘an enthusiastic and easily manipulated toad’, I believe he called her. Good choice to head the Mudblood Liquidation Committee.”

“Well, we’ve given it a more diplomatic title, but thank you, milord. This way, please.” He ushered the Dark Lord around the artwork to a row of lifts pointing to the one that was already open and welcoming them. “Level Nine,” he mumbled and braced himself for the rough ride only one level down.

The doors opened with a ding. Voldemort stepped out onto black tiles. At the end of the long corridor was a doorway, a doorway that was very familiar, for only two years prior, he placed it in Harry Potter’s dreams. His jaw clenched, another disappointing night that was.

“Milord, welcome to the Department of Mysteries.” This time it was Rookwood, the newly reinstated Unspeakable and now department head, who greeted him, his face low to the ground, practically kissing Voldemort’s robes. The Dark Lord acknowledged him, pushing Pius out of the way. “Augustus, I look forward to seeing this new discovery you told me about. You know, despite everything, I have never actually been in the Department of Mysteries. One might say I’m giddy with excitement,” he said in a deadpanned voice.

Rookwood took his master’s words in stride and ushered him into the circular room of doors. The Unspeakable seemed able to tell the difference in one door from another, for he waved his wand upon the third door to the left and again welcomed his master deeper into the department.

Voldemort stepped into an amphitheater of stone. The silence so eerie sent a shiver went down his spine. He stopped at the topmost step and stared down at a stone archway decorated only with a tattered curtain hanging from it. He couldn’t explain it. Hell, he wouldn’t even acknowledge but that structure instilled terror into his very soul, well what was left of it at least.

“What is THAT?” he hissed extending a sharp fingernail down toward the dias.

“This is the Death Chamber,” Rookwood shrugged for he had been here many times. “This is the room that Bella disposed of her blood traitor cousin. He fell through that which is supposedly a portal to death. We’re still studying it. Some people say they can hear voices whispering from it. Most say the curtain moves slightly even though there is no wind. I personally have never observed either.”

Voldemort also could hear nothing, nor see any movement. If he was honest with himself, watching the archway was like facing his own death, something that would never occur. Still, the room created that same sense of fear when Potter and his wands connected in the graveyard. Another moment of defeat, he didn’t want to dwell on.

Rookwood was already skirting along the top of the benches to the opposite side of the room. Here another door appeared to his wand and melted to his touch. The Dark Lord was, secretly, glad to escape through it. They entered a room, at least he supposed it was a room, for he could not observe any walls or ceilings. Mist swirled around them, leaving a pungent, musty odor of mildew clinging to his robes. They walked on and on in silence until the fog seemed to dissipate leaving only the squish of their shoes in the soft flooring. 

As they climbed up a steep hill, Voldemort considered flying up, but had no idea exactly where he was going. Plus Rookwood was starting to talk about the discovery. “They found it several years ago, about the time Fudge became Minister, not that he ever really knew about it. There are runes etched along the edge as well on what we think is probably a control board nearby; however, they are runes like we’ve never seen. We’ve copies of them around to the world to every rune expert known, but no one understood them. Not until some lowly assistant to one of experts in Egypt saw the symbols. He had actually started his mastery in astronomy before switching to runes. He was the one who recognized them as not runic but as astrological. With this Egyptian’s expertise and some new spell creations, we were able to get it working.”

“Yes, but you haven’t told me exactly what it is,” Voldemort hissed, both his patience and his legs exhausted. They reached the summit and Rookwood motioned down to the other side. There in the valley was a huge stone ring about seven meters in diameter, sitting upright. Voldemort could just see the non runes etched on the outside of the ring. A squat, balding wizard was standing nearby, casting his wand in a complicated pattern. Suddenly the inside of the ring glowed and a rush of silvery wind shot out from it before settling back down and only rippling slightly by a mysterious breeze. It looked like he was peering into the depths of a huge well or magical mirror that wouldn’t quite hold still. 

“It’s a portal, milord,” Rookwood explained, “to another planet, a world so far from here we haven’t even imagined being able to reach it. Once you conquer our planet, here is another one that will fall to your feet. If there is one, why not more? This could be a gateway to the entire universe at your beck and call.”

Voldemort’s face registered shock and then greed and pleasure. “Why not more worlds indeed. Well done Rookwood, well done. I take it the portal is open.” He gestured to the silvering substance. 

“Yes, milord. The planet was very simple and easy to conquer. We can certainly visit it today if you would like.”

Voldemort nodded, “I would like to, very much Rookwood. I am very pleased, very pleased. What is this thing,” called?” He pointed vaguely to the ring. “Do you just call it a portal?”

Rookwood shook his head. “Actually, the Egyptian was able to decipher the runes. Whoever made it, called it a stargate.”

___________________________

Deep in Cheyenne Mountain on the other side of the Pond and across a few mountain ranges, Chief Harriman was scratching his head and scrunching his nose up at his computer screen. “Damn Major. It happened again. The last chevron won’t engage.”

Major Samantha Carter stepped over and glanced over his shoulder. “Did you collect the data when it failed to lock?”

“Aye,” the Chevron Guy replied tapping on the keyboard and hitting the print button. A list of what most would consider gibberish was spewed forth but Carter seemed to understand the scientific mumbo jumbo perfectly. The more her eyes scanned the printout, the lower her frown was pulled down. “Tell General Hammond to call a meeting. I’ve got a theory why the stargate isn’t intermittently working and he’s not going to be happy to hear it.”

Fifteen minutes later, SG1, General Hammond and some other odds and ends personnel from the top secret project met in the debriefing room. The curtain was open to see the Stargate in the room below. The gate was working again for SG7 was receiving their final go-ahead and disappeared into the wormhole. 

General Hammond cleared his throat to get his command’s attention. They all turned to him in expectation except Daniel Jackson who has his nose stuck in a book of Ancient reading about who knows what because only Daniel really understood the language and Colonel O'Neill who was busy making pig snouts at Teal’c trying to get the alien to react, a feat he had yet to accomplish even after four years as a team. 

“Gentleman and ladies,” General Hammond began, “Major Carter has asked us here to explain her theory about the intermittent interruption in the Stargate’s ability to create a worm hold.” O’Neill responded by forgoing his pig noses and snuggling down in his office chair for a snooze. Jackson rifled through his book, flipping to the index and back again. 

“Gentleman,” the general raised his voice. “Gentleman-”

“Earth has a second active stargate,” Major Carter interrupted. 

“Sorry, what?” O’Neill’s eyes popped open and he sat up. “You mean Earth has a second stargate. The stargate we found in Antarctica. The one that is currently in storage at Area 51.”

“And that one is still in storage,” Carter explained. “When I began developing my theory, I went down there to check. It’s still in storage, boxed up, and hasn’t been used since we moved it there. No, I mean Earth has a third stargate, a second ACTIVE stargate and it’s been active for about three months now.”

“What is its location? Who controls it? The Russians?” Hammond demanded.

“I honestly don't know but I don’t think it’s the Russians,” the astrophyscists admitted. “Although I can’t get an exact pinpoint of its location, the wormhole pinpoints somewhere in Western Europe, perhaps France or the British Isles. Then the energy flux just disappears like it’s vanishing behind a forcefield or something.”

“You mean it’s being hidden by a technology that we don’t understand,” Jackson perked up with his attention on the briefing.

“That is a . . distinct possibility,” the woman admitted.

“Perhaps another question we need to ask is why haven’t we landed through their stargate or them into Cheyenne Mountain?” Teal’c interjected to which Carter nodded in agreement.

“I’m sorry,” O’Neill jumped in, “but should I assume that just because we have two different stargates isn’t a reason that we don’t accidentally return to theirs and they don’t accidently walk through ours?”

“It is not, O’Neill,” Teal’c nodded his head once. “Stargates are only used for travel across immense distances, millions or billions of kilometers. Most planets only host one because the wormhole bubble that creates the travel can be interrupted by another gate near both ends of the wormhole. In all cases where I have witnessed two gates on the same planet, one is the alpha gate. Traffic always returns there unless diverted to the other gate. It is the nature of the stargate.”

Daniel furrowed his eyebrows and pointed to their stargate out the observation window. “So, you are saying that if our stargate is the alpha gate, these people traveling from somewhere on Earth should have been forced to return by our gate and if theirs in the alpha gate, vice versa.”

“Correct, Dr. Jackson,” the alien said. 

“Everytime their use of the stargate interrupts ours creating a wormhole, Harriman and I have been collected data. I can’t quite explain it, but the data is off.” Major Carter explained holding up a practical book of numbers and gibberish.

“Off?” Colonel O’Neill arched his eyebrow not used to his second-in-commander using such vague and unscientific explanations.

“Yes,” she shrugged. “I think this is the reason our wormholes don’t cross and I believe it’s related to how they operate the Stargate.”

“So, you think, like us, their stargate is missing the DHD*,” Hammon surmised stroking his chin thoughtfully.

“I would theorize yes, sir,” she agreed, “but I don’t think they are using electricity for manual operation of the portal either. I think they’ve found a third way to access the dialing abilities.”

“And that is. . . “ Jackson asked but Carter shrugged her shoulders.

The room was quiet for a moment before Colonel O’Neill slapped the table with his palm. “I know how they dial out!”

The small group murmured in surprise and turned to the least scientific mind of the group. 

“Well isn’t it obvious,” he answered in mock surprise and then gave them a cheesy grin. “It must have been magic.”

*DHD Dial Home Device-Think of it like a dialpad to dial the correct number into the stargate.  
____________________________________________________________________


	2. Chapter 2

Lord Voldemort surveyed the massive stone portal. It’s shimmering pond had disappeared with a flash, leaving a view of the other side of an idyllic pasture. Despite his years of studying various magical devices and immersion into Dark Arts, the ruins etched upon the stone were unfamiliar to him. He would never admit out loud that he didn’t understand how a magical artifact worked, but it was a condronum to him. Still, it was intriguing. It had been a long time since something peaked his intellectual curiosity.

“I would like to go through it,” he pronounced.

If Rookwood was surprised, he didn’t show it. “Of course milord.” He bowed deeply and turned to the balding wizard whispering fervently to him. The other wizard, Unspeakable Hamish Sallow, nodded, sweat pouring off his forehead. As soon as he had realized who was accompanying Rookwood, he had frozen in fear and then peed in his pants. One hears rumors, of course. Pureblood had been the new mantra at the ministry, but there he was, the Dark Lord himself, not ten meters away from him. 

Sallow cast a charm to wipe away the sweat that was now dripping from his chin. Then he nodded to Rookwood, tried not to think about the threatening figure nearby, and began the complicated wand motions to open up the portal. A stream of silver spewed forth before settling down to a quiet simmer. 

“Milord, it feels like apparition, but takes as long as a portkey,” Rookwood murmured as he motioned his master forward. Voldemort’s red eyes were actually bright with excitement as he was swallowed into the portal. Rookwood went next followed by Sallow.

The other site was more akin to a Stonehenge than a flowering field. The ground was a barren dustbowl with other stones scattered about the circle. Beyond that was another idyllic pasture but this one was being trimmed by animals that might have been sheep except for their eight legs and pink fur.

Rookwood motioned him through the ruins and down a well maintained path. He had been here several times and could have apparated straight to their destination, but wouldn’t dare suggest taking the Dark Lord side along. Instead he talked about the planet as they walked along with Sallow following a healthy distance behind. “The locals were all muggle and simpletons at that. Those technology items that they have on Earth: cars, electarky, talking boxes. These groups have nothing. One of the other Unspeakable said they look like they came from the time of Merlin.” 

Voldemort scoffed at the thought of such backwards muggles. 

“When the Unspeakables first arrived about three months ago, the natives were wary but friendly. They said we came through the Chappa’ai, their name for the Stargate, and seemed to feel we were messengers of their god, Heru’ur, especially when the wizards showed them a bit of magic. They were treated as honored guests, almost revered--at least until they discovered the Cave. The Cave was thoroughly shielded with wards like we’ve never seen. The magic that protected them--honestly, I don’t know if they were a type of unknown magic or not magic altogether, but whatever they were, the natives became furious when they realized the Unspeakable were trying to break into the Cave. They called it sacred, not to be touched by anyone but their god and then they chased them all the way back to the stargate.”

The trio neared the crest of a hill. Nestled in the small valley below was a village. The countryside could be waxed by poets for its simplicity and beauty, but Rookwood would have snarled at such eloquii. He might have described it as “quaint” but shuddered at the thought of voicing the description out aloud. Instead he pointed beyond the village to the Cave’s location and continued his history of the planet.

“The Department didn’t enter the stargate again until you named me head of it. Since then we’ve gone back, subdued the locals and have started to explore the Cave. There are a lot of fascinating items in there, things that will keep the Department of Mysteries busy for years to come. The Muggles, however, are still crying out about their old god. They seem to fear him, but also try to threaten us with him.”

Lord Voldemort snorted at the threats of their supposed god. They came around a bend in the path to a quaint village. The houses were stone and wood with thatch set atop their timbers. One was pulling a bucket from the central well, while children laughed and played among the housewives sweeping their front perches. As soon as they were within view, the laughter and chatter stopped. The young ones ran behind their mother’s skirts and the women cast their eyes downward. 

Voldemort waved his wand at the nearest child who was cowering behind a large rock. The girl immediately stood up and walked over, a glazed look in her amber eyes. She stopped just before them and sank into a deep curtsey and then stood docile waiting for inspection. “They are human.” Disbelief slipped out from Voldemort’s usual stoic contenance. He cast a short crucio at the girl and watched her drop, screaming in agony. Yes, definitely a human.

“Yes, milord,” Rookwood acknowledged. “We’re still studying this but it’s logical that at some point, probably centuries ago, they came through the portal. There isn’t a drop of magic among them,” he sneered. 

Then the Death Eater turned toward his master and bowed deeply. “Sir, forgive me for my impudence but I have previously implied that their old god was a false god. In anticipation that you would some day arrive here, I proclaimed that the true god would come and show them true power and might. They are afraid but still defiant. If you desire, a proclamation and, perhaps, small demonstration today might be beneficial in cementing it in their minds.”

The Dark Lord previewed the scene before. They were a ragtag group to be sure, but they would be a wonderful experiment. If these worthless excuses could be convinced, and rightly so, that he was their god, then so could the Muggles of Earth when the time came. A wicked smile spread across his face and his red eyes seemed to almost brighten a bit in anticipation. “Rookwood, you have taken liberties and perhaps you should be punished for such assumptions.” He paused for a moment allowing the words to sink, “however, you have also shown great devotion to me in your liberties, so please make the appropriate introductions.” He spread his arms wide toward the village. 

Rookwood gave his master a feral grin, set a translation spell and then the Sonorous Spell to his throat so his voice echoed through the hamlet and into the mountains just beyond. “Attention all people of the Village, assemble at the town square immediately. Anyone who tarries will face immediate and painful consequences.” 

The villagers streamed forth so by the time the dark wizards had climbed the steps of a small raised dais on the village green, the crowd had assembled. 

“When I was here not even a week ago, I made a promise to you,” Rookwood began. “A promise that your old god named Heru’ur was a false god. I understand you feared him and rightly so for a god should be feared for he is great and powerful, but fear not that false god, for your true god is here. Feast your eyes upon him.” Rookwood shot a bang of fireworks behind Voldemort’s head that continued for several seconds, streaming a rainbow behind his translucent skin and red eyes. “Indeed he is so powerful that you shall not even be permitted to know his name, but know this. If you are faithful and obey his commands, he shall be merciful, but if you dare disobey, even in thoughts, your almighty god will know and you will be punished.”

Rookwood stepped back and allowed Voldemort to begin his demonstration. Immediately half of the Muggles fell to their knees in agony, clutching their abdomen, crying out for mercy. Then he moved swiftly from person to person, tearing into their minds, not paying attention to what he saw but demonstrating that even their thoughts were his to own and control. They each stumbled back and cried as if a hot awl was shredding their brains. 

When the entire village lay writhing upon the dirt in the aftermath of agony, Lord Voldemort gave a nod in satisfaction and turned to focus his energies on this aforementioned Cave. Suddenly a man staggered up, blinking rapidly and trying to shake the pain off. He was obviously well to do in the village for his hat included the appropriate tassel that demanded respect, perhaps a man of the council. At that moment, however, his eyes were ablazed in righteous anger. 

“You,” he rasped, “are not our god. Is Heru’ur a god of wrathful god? Yes. Will he punish accordingly to our sins? I have seen it myself; however, he would never do this for no reason except to exercise his power,” the man gestured to the suffering that surrounded him, “as we have been his loyal subjects. We fear our god, Heru’ur, but you should too, for he is an unforgiving god and he will come. I promise you. HE WILL COME. You may be powerful but he is more so. He will have his vengeance and you shall not even have the time to run back to the Chappa’ai in fear, for your corpse shall be rotting upon this ground!” 

The man spit upon the ground in disgust. Rookewood raised his wand to kill the man but Voldemort motioned him away. “How will they learn with such a quick demonstration?” he asked his underling. Then he waved his wand at the crowd, forcing them to part. One more Unforgivable and four of the biggest men of the village stepped forward with rope. They dragged the outspoken man, kicking and screaming to the dais and strung him up like it was gallows. Voldemort then released the imperio but kept them all frozen, so they watched in horror but could do nothing as their friend and leader, turned purple and clutched his throat until his feet moved no more.

“I SHALL BE BACK,” Voldemort commanded, “and I suggest you consider whom you worship freely.” With a swirl of his robes, he waltzed from the village. 

_______________________________

“Major, it’s happened again. I think we’ve got enough data!” Chief Harriman spoke excitedly through the intercom. 

Major Carter stood up for the briefing table. “I think we’ve pinpointed the exact planet they are going to and since we can’t determine where their Stargate is on Earth. . . “ She turned SG1’s commander, a silent question passing between them. 

“General, SG1 requests permission to visit this planet and discover who these newest stargate travelers are?” Colonel O’Neill turned to Stargate Command’s leader. “Whatever country they are from, they are guaranteed to be a pain in the ass for us,” he muttered under his breath to which Jackson nodded in agreement and Teal’c raised an eyebrow. 

“Permission granted, but just reconnaissance. Get me something to work with at this end okay, Let’s avoid an Earth firefight on another planet.”

“Yes sir,” O’Neill replied with just a bit too much enthusiasm as he rose from the table. The rest of the team really did roll their eyes. Afterall when did SG1, and particularly O’Neill, get themselves in too much trouble.”

_______________________________________________

Voldemort, Rookwood and Sallow continued to the Cave. The protections on it had been extensive and had taken Unspeakables days to break. Rookwood admitted that the protections weren’t like a magical signature that any Unspeakable had ever seen. The wards plus what they found inside seemed to be a cross between magical and “the most complex technology that Earth Muggles wouldn’t even have imagined.” The entire cave appeared to be a storage facility for the various devices. Despite the villagers objections, Rookwood and his team had reentered the Cave and explored the various instruments. They had also found the purpose for a few, but what they saw had disturbed him for “they made Muggle technology more and more similar to the power of Magic.” There were devices that acted like invisibility cloaks but at a much grander scale and device that could apparate a Muggle across hundreds of kilometers. Voldemort walked among the various objects. Most seemed so small, but as Rookwood explained the purpose of the ones they knew, he realized how they could be a very real danger if Muggles used them against the Magical World. “The villagers obviously have no idea,” the Dark Lord mused. 

Rookwood agreed. “They considered the mountain sacred, but never had the abilities to actually enter into it. Once we broke through the wards, they were terrified and furious. Even if they could see these things, they are just simpletons. No, these were created by another group who were much more advanced and powerful, probably the same group that created the Stargate.”

“So, could these things also be somewhere on Earth?” Voldemort thought aloud. “That is very dangerous to my plans, very dangerous indeed.”

Voldemort strolled through the treasure trove of strange artifacts. A simple translation spell had shifted the archaic letters into recognizable English so he studied them in interest. It had been a long time since he enjoyed research purely for knowledge sake and even longer since he came across something he didn’t understand. Rookwood and Hamish Sallow stood off to the side, both ready to jump at the man’s commands as he wandered through the room in an almost intellectual haze.

Suddenly, Sallow stiffened and tapped his wand on his left hand. “The wards that I set up have been broken,” he announced. The Dark Lord didn’t even glance at the Unspeakable. 

“It’s probably one of those filthy Muggles from the village. Go deal with them,” Rookwood snapped at the man. 

Sallow nodded and moved toward the cave entrance but within a minute, he was scurrying back like a frightened mouse. “Those people aren’t villagers,” he whispered. Alarmed, Rookward pulled his wand from his holster and motioned the Unspeakable to follow him outside. 

Just at the cave’s entrance were four people who were studying the entrance intently, pressing upon Sallow’s shield charm which straddled the cave’s entrance. They were dressed oddly in clothing of mismatched green patches. When Rookwood appeared his wand outstretched, the group responded in kind with their own weapons which Rookwood was fairly sure were long-shaped guns. He didn’t know much about Muggles but he was absolutely positive that the villagers wouldn’t have such advanced technology. These humans, and they still appeared to be human, must have come through the Stargate.

For a moment, he considered killing them but then realized, this could be an opportunity to obtain some information. After all these humans were proof that the Stargate could also lead to another planet. He lowered his wand and observed them lower their guns but their fingers still tense on the triggers. 

“Welcome,” he plastered the most friendly smile he could muster on his face. “You aren’t from around here either, are you? Did you come through the Stargate too?”

A man with crewcut, obviously their leader, nodded. Faint wrinkles touched around his eyes, but it was the orbs themselves that spoke of experience and knowledge. Muggle he might be, a chill still went down Rookwood’s spine. These were not your average Muggles and he shouldn’t underestimate them.

“Rookwood,” a voice hissed from inside the cave. The high pitch put the group on alert and their fingers stiffened on their weapons again. A man appeared from the depths of the cavern although he appeared to not be quite human. His skin was almost translucent and his nose two slits. “Do we have guests?” the newcomer asked as he completely emerged from the shadows. 

“Yes, milord.” Rookwood bowed deeply. “They appear to be Muggles and they also came through the Stargate.”

“Interesting,” Lord Voldemort hissed his crimson eyes gleaming at the possibilities of this new information. “What planet do you hail from?”

The Muggle’s leader hesitated for a moment, studying Lord Voldemort before answering. “Tau’ri*. We’re from the planet of Tau’ri.” He studied the strange man for a reaction but when the three wizards showed no recognition to the name he returned the inquiry. “And you?”

“A planet called Earth,” Rookwood volunteered lowering his wand but still not sheathing it. “How far away is Tau’ri from here?”

The blonde woman began to rattle off some astrometric jargon about distance to which Rookwood just smiled again and pretended he understood. However, he was really cursing his Hogwarts education. Why in the world did he have five years of astronomy and they never talked about anything beyond Pluto?

“I am Colonial O’Neill and this is my team,” O’Neill nodded to the others trying to continue diplomacy but still staring at Lord Voldemort. Was he human? If not, how did he live on Earth?

Lord Voldemort, however, was already tired of pleasantries especially when dealing with lowly Muggles. He strode over the strange one who had some sort of symbol attached to his forehead and waved his wand. Teal’c immediately stiffened up, his eyes widened in alarm, as all he could do was blink. Voldemort peered into the man’s eyes and hissed one word.

“Legilimens.” 

Several seconds passed as Voldemort peered deeply into Teal’c’s eyes until finally O’Neill lost his patience. 

“That’s enough,” he snapped raising his gun at the man.

Voldemort, however, was done and was furious. Whatever he wanted to happen had failed and he snarled and snapped his fingers. Teal’c stumbled a bit and shook his head but recovered quickly and stood as placidly as ever. 

Voldemort, meanwhile, turned his rage onto Colonel O’Neill, “How dare, you, a filthy Muggle attempt to threaten me. He waves his fingers and O’Neill’s FN P90 was wrenched from his hands and sailed over landing at the Dark Lord’s feet. He stared at it for a moment in slight curiosity before slashes his wand and watching it melt into a pile of twisted metal. 

The rest of SG-1 raised their own weapons awaiting the order but O’Neill raised his hand. “Well, that little stunt you pulled on Teal’c wasn’t exactly welcoming, you know.”

Sallow gaped at the audacity of this Muggle and Rookwood raised his wand to defend his master’s honor. Suddenly a cackle, panicky yet gleeful, echoed across the path. 

“He’s come! He’s come!” A villager popped out from behind a large bush. His eyes almost maniacal and a victorious grin spread across his face. He shook his finger at both groups and admonished them. “I warned you. You desecrated the sacred Cave and now Heru’ur, the true god, has come to punish you.” He pointed his finger accusingly. 

The ground began to shake and the clouds began to darken and tumble over one another. SG-1 braced themselves as they glanced up to the sky. 

“Oh hell. Did that nutcase villager say Heru’ur?” O’Neill asked.

“He did,” Jackson confirmed, “and I would say Heru’ur is here.” He pointed to the sky where the angry clouds began to part and something of monolith size descended from above. 

“Who is Heru’ur?” Rookwood asked, bracing himself from the winds that were quickly twisting into a gale.

“Well, he’d be the god of this planet you’ve discovered and if you want to meet him, be my guest, but I’ve met enough Goa’uld this week, so if you excuse me, we’ll be leaving. Nice to have met you.” O’Neill motioned to his team to fall back and they began to retreat their guns still aimed at the wizards.

Suddenly a stack of rings appeared between them and the path to the Stargate. Within seconds three jaffa, the Goa’uld guards, were there with staffs raised. 

“Well, crap,” O’Neill said and then fired his secondary weapon at the jaffa as the rings ascended. SG-1 continued their assault. Still more soldiers appeared and SG-1 was being pushed back into the strange newcomers.

The three wizards also began an attack. Unfortunately, many of the spells seemed to bounce off the Jaffa armor just like bullets of the FN P 90. Lord Voldemort looked enraged as Rookwood took a bolt to the arm and yet more of these soldiers appeared. Voldemort threw up a strong shield charm that covered both the wizards and the armed muggles when the rings dropped one more. This time a single man stepped out. 

He lacked the fancy Cobra style helmets of the jaffa guard, sporting rather a bald head and goatee, but he more than made up for it in stature and presence. The guards immediately pulled back into ranks and the nutcase village sprang forth and threw himself on the ground before the man.

“Oh merciful Heru’ur,” he wailed. “We tried to stop them. We warned them against entering the sacred mountain but they ignored our pleas.” The man twisted his body so he faced the Earthling. “Now invaders, you will pay!” he hissed.

Heru’ur’s eyes flashed a golden light then he shouted commands and his troops shifted back into attack mode. Finally he turned to the newcomers, his voice deep and guttural. “Who dares to challenge me? I am the god of this system for it is under my command. You, who dare to defy me, will die.” he declared. With a sharp order, the soldiers began to send bolts of energy toward Voldemort’s shield like a blitzkrieg.

Voldemort hated to admit defeat but he also recognized it. They were easily outnumbered 10 to 1 (for he didn’t not count the muggles as on his side. (Besides he wasn’t entirely sure what would happen if he was hit with his horcruxes so far away.) “Retreat,” he hissed. “You, Unspeakable, collapse the cave’s entrance. We’ll come back later. Rookwood, take the humans with you. We’ll need to interrogate them back on Earth.” 

Evidently Sallow’s fears of the Dark Lord outnumbered his fears of the pyramid shaped spacecraft and its cobra clad soldiers, for he peeled himself away from the cave’s entrance where he had been cowering and focusing his energy on his appointed task. Meanwhile Rookwood grabbed the woman and the man with glasses disapparating with them. He returned just as Sallow finished blocking the entrance and made a grab for the leader, but was rewarded with a searing pain in his side as Teal’c’s jaffa stick sent an energy bolt into his ribcage. “Teal’c”, O’Neill warned. “He already took Jackson and Carter. We need to follow them.” 

Teal’c nodded, returning his staff to an upright position, he begrudgingly offered his arm to the injured man so he too could be teleported. Rookwood snarled, but waved his wand over his midsection for a temporary healing and then grabbed the man’s bicep. Voldemort’s shield collapsed as they disapparated back to the stargate.

When they appeared before the stone ring, they found Sallow knocked unconscious on the ground and Carter desparately setting up a portable DHD** device. “I don’t think so, Muggle,” Voldemort knocked the major away from her equipment. “We are going to my planet not yours.” Rookwood had already body bound Teal’c and O’Neill and started the complicated wand motions. The humans watched in fascination as the outer ring began to move toward the chevron combination of Earth.

As the gate slowly spun through its cycle, an eerie sound escalated into a rumble. The pyramid ship barreled toward them, shooting its lasers. One barely missed the unconscious Sallow as the others ducked behind the huge boulders for protection firing fruitlessly at the huge ship. Finally the last one chevron locked and the portal opened. “Those two will be enough,” the Dark Lord snapped pointing toward Jackson and the groggy Major. “Leave the rest.”

“Colonel,” Teal’c yelled, motioning to the portal where Rookwood was levitating Jackson and Carter through.  
Just then the rings appeared several hundred feet away. 

“I’m just not feeling very welcome around here. At least we know it will lead us back to somewhere to Earth. Let’s go.” Just as he was about to dash for the portal, he spied a bit of from his left. The strange earthlings had left one of their own there. Cursing himself for being such a good guy, he grabbed Sallow’s arm and hauled him up. Then all three of them dashed to the portal amid a hail of energy bolts. 

*Tau’ri is the name others of the Milky Way have given to the humans from Earth.  
** Dial Home Device. Most stargates have one set up next to it, but if not, a portable one, such as Carter was trying to set up, could be used.


	3. Chapter 3

Sallow and the two members of SG1 tumbled through the Stargate just before it snapped shut. O’Neill was ready, firing a shot which grazed the Dark Lord’s shoulder. He whirled around, surprised by their sudden entrance but flicked his wand scattering the other bullets away from himself. Two more slashes and the team collapsed to their knees. “Bind them,” Voldemort ordered. Rookwood nodded, sending a red jet toward the pair and then everything went black.

___________________________________

“I want one for. . . interrogation. . . no, not that one. Yes, that one. He seemed to be the leader.”

Jack O’Neill felt like his eyelids were painted shut. He slowly moved his eyeballs around but the moment he shifted them too far in any direction, pain seared through his head. He squeezed his eyes for a moment and managed to open them a sliver. 

There was Mr. No Nose, talking to the man who had obviously been his second in command on the expedition (if for no other reason, he wasn’t left behind like their third member.) Jack felt like ropes bound him tightly but couldn’t see any visible restraints. 

“Ah, good, you are awake,” the second in command noticed Jack’s movements. “Excellent, now we can begin. What planet are you from?” he demanded.

“Thought we mentioned that,” Jack answered lightly. “Tau’ri.”

“Where is that located exactly?” the man demanded

“Outer space,” Jack snarked.

Rookwood snarled and raised his wand. “I don’t take lip from filthy Muggles like you. Crucio!”

Pain shot through Jack like a thousand needles piercing his skin and digging deep into his muscles. He gritted his teeth and just about the time, he thought he might scream, the pain stopped. “Well, that wasn’t very impressive. It must be the size of your little stick there. Perhaps someone with a bigger-”

The agony started again this time from within and radiating outward, but was cut off abruptly.

“What are you doing, Rookwood?” Voldemort asked.

“Just softening him up for you, milord,” his lackey answered.

“Does it look like I need you to soften someone up for me?” he hissed, his flat nostrils flaring 

His servant shrank before those red eyes. “No, of course, not milord. I just. . . he’s just a filthy Muggle, so I didn’t think you’d mind. . .” It was the wrong thing to say, for Voldemort turned his attention onto the man and Jack watched in morbid interest as the other man writhed in pain on the floor.

“Don’t ever presume to decide what I would or wouldn’t mind,” Voldemort hissed. He stepped away from the whimpering heap and turned his red stare on Jack. “Now, Muggle, let’s see what you know.” He forced Jack’s eyes open and stared into the depths. Again a thousand needles pounded upon him, but this time only his mind. Still they didn’t feel like they were deep. They felt more like they just scratched the surface.

Voldemort’s face twisted into rage. “You, you are human,” he snapped.

“Last time I checked,” Jack’s smart mouth seemed to be on automatic.

“You are a Muggle, aren’t you? How could you know occlumency?” 

“Occu-? What’s that and what’s a Muggle?” Jack asked, honestly bewildered.

Voldemort snarled. “I will get into your mind even if I have to tear it to shreds. Perhaps Rookwood is right. You just need some softening up. CRUICO!”

This time Jack really did scream.

___________________________________________

Hours later, O’Neill was dropped back into the cell with the rest of his team. “Colonel,” Carter rushed over carefully turning him onto his back. Jack groaned as his muscles screamed at the slightest movement. 

“They tortured you,” Teal’c stated matter-of-factly. 

“No, actually we shared some beers and caught a game together,” Jack joked as he struggled to sit up. “They were trying to break into my mind, but were unsuccessful. Mr. No Nose was rather annoyed. He called me a Muggle and expected it to be easy to do. A word of advice, don’t annoy that guy. His tortured methods get more drastic.”

“He couldn’t break into my mind either,” Teal’c mused and everyone turned with questions in their eyes. “In front of the Cave, he made eye contact with me. I could feel him trying to break in like you would feel someone pounding on the windows of your home.”

“Probably because you are Jaffa,” Jack said. “Evidently human minds are supposed to be easy to read. Besides we all know how stubborn Jaffas can be.”

Teal’c raised his eyebrow but didn’t answer.

“So, why not you, Colonel,” Daniel Jackson jumped in, but then paused deep in thought. “Perhaps it was because of the Ancient’s Repository of Knowledge you encountered a couple of months ago.”

“You mean the device that scanned my entire brain and then downloaded a heap of knowledge into it, making me speak weird languages, understand bizzare math equations and then almost overloaded the entire thing so I would have ended as a vegetable? That device?”

Daniel shrugged, “Well, we know how powerful it was. It’s a logical conclusion that perhaps it left behind some protection for you.”

“It’s a good thing, too,” Carter said. “If it had been Daniel or I, I’m sure he would have known immediately that we are from Earth. To protect ourselves and our Stargate. . . “ she didn’t finish her sentence, but didn’t need to. The whole team understood the possible disastrous consequences.

“Well,” O’Neill, slapped his hand on the floor and attempted to stand up before a wave of nausea sent him crashing back down. “So, how do we escape?”

“I can help,” a tiny voice came from outside their cell. They whirled around to see Hamish Sallow standing there, his head down, looking fearful of even suggesting such an action. “I mean, you saved me. . . and well, I need your help with something.”

“You would help us?” Jackson demanded. “Why?”

Sallow ignored his question. “Are you really from Earth? I mean from here? This planet?”

O’Neill nodded, “The US to be precise. United States Air Force.”

“And you have a Stargate too?” Sallow looked up questions in his eyes.

Jackson nodded. “What country are we in?”

“UK, deep underground, in the heart of London.”

“London?” Dr. Jackson eyes widened in wonder.

“Will you help us escape?” O’Neill interrupted. 

Sallow looked around furtively. “If I get you to Muggle London, can you get back to your Stargate from there?”

“Yes,” Carter said. “Will you help us?”

The balding man nodded. “But not right now. I’ll need an alibi and I think I have just the tool to use to help us with that.” 

“Wait!” Jackson grabbed the bars of their cell. “How do you do it? All this power? Do you have some technology of the Ancients that we don’t know about?”

“Technology?” Sallow stuttered over the word as he experimented with the sound on his tongue. “You mean that fancy Muggle stuff like elektriky? No, of course not.” He shook his head at such an absurd idea.   
The man hurried away but turned back just as he was about to disappear around the corner. “We are wizards. We do magic.”

____________________________

Ten hours later, Teal’c shifted from his position. Sleeping on the stone floor didn’t bother him. The strange Earthling’s magical powers didn’t bother him. He had met beings from dozens of worlds and some had more talents than others. Hell, even being in the cage didn’t bother him. The team had been in stickier situations than this. No, it was something the mousy wizard had said. He needed their help with something. What could such a power group need their help with? It made him uncomfortable, but alas nothing he could do about it now.

A scratching noise grabbed his attention. Teal’c rolled over and sat up scanning the area behind the bars. A tiny rodent, perhaps a dormouse scurried out from behind a shelving unit. It paused mid-room and turned around sharply as if worried someone was behind it. Something about its mannerism, the way it jerked around, the constant fear in its eyes, reminded him of Hamish Sallow who had promised to rescue them. 

Needless to say, even the stoic jaffa who could rival Severus Snape in deadpan reactions, raised an eyebrow when the tiny dormouse turned into the man himself.

“Impressive,” Teal’c admitted.

“Er, thanks,” Sallow said, once again glancing behind him. “I’m an animagus which probably doesn’t mean much to you.”

Their conversation roused the rest of the team who stood up, albeit Jack a bit gingerly. 

“After you’ve escaped, I need you to contact someone in MACUSA,” Sallow started.

“Mac-who?” Jack asked.

“Oh damn, this is so hard. MACUSA is the magical government in America. I can’t contact you, but you need help to get to them. You have to contact them and carefully, not my ministry. It’s been compromised, but there’s the Statute of Secrecy and anti-muggle spells, so I don’t know how you could contact them. . “ Sallow continued rambling, only half of which SG1 understood. The more he talked, the more sweat poured down his face until finally Major Carter interrupted him. 

“I think I know a way.”

“Uh, you do?” Hamish conjured up a handkerchief and wiped his brow.

“You do?” O’Neill looked at her questioning.

The major nodded. “I have a cousin, three years younger than me. We weren’t particularly close but hung out during family gatherings etc. One time, we were playing hide and seek and she was behind a tree. When I got close to her, somehow, the tree grew around her so she was hiding in the tree. Needless to say I was freaked out, as was she, when this tree seemed to swallow her up. I pounded on the bark and could hear her pounding back, crying. I ran to get help but by the time my dad and I came back, she was back and the tree looked completely normal. She was fine, just scared. A few years later, she wrote me a letter saying that she was accepted at a prestigious boarding school called Ilve-something.”

“Ilvermorny?” Sallow interjected.

“Yes, that’s it!” Carter exclaimed. “Anyways, she was very secretive about the school. We drifted apart but I never forgot that summer day. It reminded me of your powers.”

Sallow nodded. “She had a bout of accidental magic. It happens occasionally to young witches and wizards. Can you contact her?”

Carter nodded, “I think so. I’ll have to do a bit of digging but my aunt and uncle are still alive, so I can find her through them.”

“Good,” the Unspeakable said. “Contact MACUSA through her. When you go back to that planet, to the Cave, you need to bring a magical person with you.”

“Why?” Jackson asked, but Sallow ignored the question, instead pulling a strange device from his pocket. It was a silver orb with strange etchings upon it and a single glowing eye.

“Thermal Detonator?” O’Neill joked.

The Unspeakable gave him a strange look but shook his head, mumbling something about Muggles and their odd inventions. “This device is a duplicator. It allows people to be in two places at the same time. He tapped his wand to it and suddenly two Hamish Sallows seemed to be standing there. 

“Woah!” Jack’s eyes widened a bit. “Which one is the real you?”

“We both are?” they replied in unison. Then they squeezed their eyes shut, with a look of concentration. Then the left one opened his eyes and answered. “This device allows you to literally be two places at once. You have to concentrate a bit but you can switch between the two bodies so one of you could be studying in the library while the other is playing Quidditch.

“Or one of you could be leading us out of here, while the other is your alibi,” Jackson reasoned out.

“Exactly,” the right Sallow said. He turned to the left Sallow. “So, I’m going to get lunch at the Ministry Cafe.”

Left Sallow nodded. “Buy a slice of chocolate cake, will you. Even if I don’t get to eat it, I’ll remember what it tastes like.”

“Will do,” Right Sallow gave a mock salute, shrunk down to dormouse size and scurried out the door.

The remaining Unspeakable pulled out four more of the duplicators and tossed them through the bars to the team. “It should work on Muggles. I think. We’ve never experimented on them, but I don’t think it will splinch you or make your brain explode.

The Muggles cringed at the thoughts but dutifully allowed Sallow to tap his wand on each orb. “Take a moment to get used to it. We’ll keep your duplicates here in jail, in case someone comes.”

Daniel waved his hand in front of his face watching two hands and two faces.. “I’ve experienced a lot since joining SG1, but this might take the cake.”

“O’Neill jumped in front of himself. Look I’m first, no I’m last.” The twin O’Neills raised their hands to high five each other but missed knocking each other in the forehead.

“Walk around a bit. Try to focus on being one of you, then try switching to the other,” Sallow suggested. “When we leave ,the one who stays here will stay seated so you can focus on walking for the other.” 

The group practiced for several minutes until Hamish was satisfied with their results. “Not bad for Muggles,” he admitted. Then he threw robes to one of each of them. “Put these on. You all stand out like Gryffindors at a quiz show.”

_______________________________________________

Hamish pulled a vial of only what could be described as bubbling mud from his pockets and added a tiny hair. Carter scrunched her nose up a bit as the Unspeakable chugged it down. Before their eyes, the squat man thinned out and grew several inches. His hair thickened up until it was silver waves and he readjusted the length of his robes a bit. 

“Magic is . . . rather fascinating, isn’t it,” One of the Jacksons pushed his glasses up on his nose a bit while the other pointed out an identical spot on both of their shirts.

“Quite,” agreed a Teal’c.

Hamish finished up his appearance and refocused on the Muggle group. “I can’t open the cell door for you. It would set off alarms, but there is a secondary way to be released from the cell that most don’t think about. I disarmed the warning alarm from that one two days ago.

“Two days ago,” Jack #1 interrupted. 

“But that makes it sound like you already knew we were coming,” his twin continued the sentence.

Hamish just shrugged, “In a manner of speaking,” he said evasily and played with a pendant that was hidden under his robes. “I have to admit, I’ve been impressed how well you are handing all of this. I’ve heard stories about Muggles absolutely freaking out when they see magic, but you all have barely flinched, so anyways, keep it up, okay. Now if I could have the one of each person that is wearing robes stand over there. Cluster together. Perfect.” He waved his wand and a large black cage went crashing down around them, separating them from their fatigued clad selves who were still in the cell.

“Hey,” both O’Neills shouted but the cage paid no notice as it slowly rose into the air. Closer and closer the ceiling it drew. They instinctively put their hands up as if to stop the elevator motion, but the ceiling just passed through their hands as they entered the floor of another room.

It was more of a chamber or a cavern. Rows of wooden seats leered down at them from an amphitheater style setting. Directly in front stood an imposing walnut desk and gavel-a judge’s bench. 

“It’s a courtroom,” Carter whispered. 

Jackson looked around and shook his head, “It looks like a court to intimidate not for justice.”

“Yeah, don’t you just love the defense’s table,” O’Neill jeered shaking at the black bars of their cage a bit.” 

“This is so weird.” O’Neill exclaimed. “It’s like I’m looking at two difference movies, one of a courtroom overlaying a jail cell, but I can push the courtroom to the back and be in the other room. I can always see both, it’s just a matter of which one I want to focus on right then.” The others’ chatter was silenced as they experimented with the two scenes. If one thought of the courtroom, it was so clear, one knew he was there, but there was a faint translucent scene of a jail, always there but not cumbersome in one’s actions, if one could focus well enough.

The door creaked open just a sliver and the scurry of little feet could be heard, followed by Sallow in his disguise. He released the cage and motioned them to follow. “Just try to act like wizards, okay,” he instructed. 

He led them down an empty hallway and up a short flight of stairs, then another hallway to a gold lift.

During their rather short but frenzied ride on the lift, three wizards entered and then two exitted. Five memos joined them. Still no one looked suspiciously at the four wizards and a witch in standard robes. The doors chimed open to the vast atrium of the Ministry. 

With huge arching ceilings and levels upon levels of windows looking into offices, it was certainly impressive; however, the group was about halfway across the room, when Teal’c whispered, “We’ve got trouble. Look at your other self.”

O’Neill paused for a second as he phased back into the jail cell, “Oh shit!” 

Sallow looked up in alarm and O’Neill explained quietly. “Someone just opened the jail cell and Mr. No Nose is there.”

“Mr. No No-?” Horror washed over the man’s face for a moment as he realized who O’Neill was describing, before he refocused. “Just keep walking,” he hissed. “Try to stay focused on here.”

“He’s pointing a wand at us,” O’Neill continued as they picked up their pace without trying to look too suspicious. 

Just as they passed by a half completed statue, Carter screamed and collapsed, the shrill sound richetting off the fireplaces. Her body convulsed on the ground as nearby ministry workers stopped and stared. “Pick her up,” Sallow hissed. Teal’c grabbed her writing body, blood now pouring out of her mouth and nose. “We’re taking her to St. Mungo’s,” Sallow promised the now gawking bystanders. 

The Unspeakable shoved Teal’c and the woman into a fireplace and threw some floo powder into it. They disappeared as he ran to the next fireplace. Jackson and O’Neill became quick studies as they followed, grabbing a pinch of the same powder and stepping past the grates.

For a brief moment, they felt like they had stepped into a stargate wormhole; however, it ended as quickly as it began and they landed in. . . .toilets?

“What the--” Jackson wondered, but the bang of a stall door caught his attention. He opened his own stall just in time to see the colonel running out of the loo.

Outside he encountered a busy street of London, with various government buildings dotting the street and Nelson’s column rising just beyond them. Sallow motioned him to a narrow alleyway and then waved his wand across the entrance. Jackson got the distinct feeling no one would bother to look down the tiny lane now. 

Major Carter’s screams pulled him deeper into the alleyway where Sallow was trying to talk to the tortured woman. “Carter, you have to concentrate on here. Do you understand? If I end the spell with you in the jail, you’ll end up there or worse, neither place!” Sallow urged.

Jack grabbed her face, ignoring the blood streaming down his thumbs. “Look at me Carter. LOOK AT ME!”   
Her eyes danced around wildly until they seemed to lock onto him. “Jack,” she whispered.

Whether You-Know-Who was taking a break from the Crucatious Curse or Carter was able to block out the other scene, Sallow wasn’t sure but he didn’t wait to find out, he pulled her Duplicator from her pocket and tapped on it three times. The woman immediately relaxed in Teal’c’s arms and gave them a weak thumbs up. Sallow didn’t waste a moment, but grabbed the Duplicator from each of the men, tapping them each three times. He imagined, with a shudder, Voldemort’s rage as he watched his four prisoners disappear, one by one, right before his eyes.

The SG1 team shook their heads and readjusted to their essence only being in one location while Sallow started talking, “I don’t have a lot of time. I have to get back. I mean all of me needs to be back at the cafe before they start searching the Ministry for you. Get as far away as you can, as quickly as you can. Go back to your stargate and then to the Cave. I’ll leave a message for you, but it will only be one a magical person can find, so you have to bring someone with you. Someone we can trust. Someone who would never follow You-Know-Who.”

“Why?” Carter asked, now standing shakily on her own two feet, grabbed his arm. “What did you find in the cave that is so important? What should we tell the magic people to convince them? What is so important that we have to show them our stargate?”

Sallow swallowed and took a deep breath. “Tell them that I have a device. I’m not sure if it’s magical or technoliky, or something in between. Tell them, I think it can help us defeat You-Know-Who. Tell them I found a device that will help Harry Potter fulfill his destiny.”

With that Swallow waved his wand and shrank into a dormouse. He scurried away, only pausing once to look back, but his eyes, even as a mouse, told them the truth. This was about life and death, not for just one person, but for the entire world, perhaps even the entire galaxy.


End file.
